When trying to get a high score, a major component of your final is the rush bonus. To maximize this, especially on easy levels, you pretty much have to rush constantly as soon as it is allowed. This just means running the game on the slowest speed and tapping non-stop on the rush bar, since even a second or two missed on a rush can drop you down the score list. This is pretty tedious, and not exactly "skill", so I'd suggestion some combination of the following three enhancements:
1) Add an "auto-rush" toggle. When this is "on", the next wave will be rushed as soon as possible. By toggling it on when rushing is not allowed and then off after the rush, you can get "perfect rushing" for a single wave in two clicks. For multiple wave rushing, it is even better. 2) Allow a double-tap on the rush bar to signify "rush next wave as soon as possible", for a single wave. 3) Have a timer indicating the time until rush is available. 4) Allow a "dead zone" so that rushes within say, 2 seconds of the earliest possible rush all get the same points and have the same effect. For example, imagine that you can normally rush every 10 seconds. With the dead zone, all clicks between 8-10 seconds since the last rush would cause a rush at exactly 10 seconds, with the same score bonus. This isn't as good as the other suggestions (but it would be good with a timer), but it doesn't require any new UI element.
As it is, the quest for high scores reduces to a 5,000 taps per game on the rush bar (it is less severe on the harder levels because 100% rushing is less viable).
It is strange how a game evolves. I've never written a game before that I've given to people other than a few close friends. So it is interesting how so many people can discover different ways to play that are completely outside my original ideas and vision.
I want to revamp the incoming bar some, mainly be placing a "rush" button on the far left hand side. Most people discover this feature the hard way (by accident). Even fewer know it will increase your score. Maybe I'll make it so you can toggle the next rush by pressing the button (and it will indicate the status). On top of a timer bar at the bottom of the button? Hmm, so many neat ideas to play with. Now I need to find the time.
I am afraid tho, that by allowing pre-rushes (or auto-rushing) that everyone will have the maximum score. What exactly will the new strategy evolve into? Minimizing your towers to maximize your interest? Even there, there is an artificial limit as you only need 250 gold in the bank to get maximum interest. So, it becomes a race to 250 gold? Should I add something in the game like geoDefense that adds a bonus to mobs killed closer to the exit? Or something like other TD's where the faster you kill a mob, the more points? How about a multiplier based on the number of different towers to damage an enemy to promote diversity?
Basically, how best could I improve scoring to give the game more strategy?
I think the scoring system is pretty good. Auto rushing wouldn't really make it easier to obtain the max score, except for *very easy* levels (the ones I have been playing lately) where you can basically rush non-stop. It just removes some of the tedium of clicking that bar constantly. You can say "OK, give me what you've got". Obviously on the harder levels, this is completely impossible - just beating them with no rushing is a bit of a challenge, and nobody is going to be able to rush non-stop.
Even on the easy levels, with max rushing, you are trying to buy the right types of towers, in the right places and at the right times, to maximize gold and other bonuses.
Actually I think that things like a bonus for enemies killed near the end just makes things more random and increases the chances of trying to game the system. Basically I feel that the score should come down to the most efficient selection and placement of towers to kill the stream of mobs. Your current scoring method does that, and adds some more on top with interest (which means that not only do you want the best arrangement, but you want to build it carefully over time, and not just jump there as soon as you have enough money - it makes the interesting part of the level longer), and rushing. Actually rushing really makes things a lot better because it can accommodate all types of players, from those who can barely beat the level to those who can rush a lot of the time. Otherwise all the high scores would be much more similar - it really extends the life of a level.
The case where you can rush 100% of the time is a degenerative case, sort of like the case where you can't rush at all (the same level, with a fixed rate of mobs, just compressed).
So to be perfectly clear, the "rush always" strategy is already available (on select easy levels) - this suggestion is just to take some of the tedium out of rushing.
Well put! I'll devise some way to have signal you want to rush the next wave. And I'll leave scoring alone.
btw, did you know that it isn't always about rushing as soon as it is available? You actually want to rush at the *beginning* of a wave, as it will advance much further, increasing your score more. If you rush in the middle of a wave, you are getting a lower score. If you can wait an few extra seconds over the 5 second lock, you might be able to increase your score more than simply rushing a four second wave.
Hard to explain, I know.
I'll try to figure out something that will let you rush right now (if available), rush at the next opportunity, or rush at the beginning of the next wave (stack waves).
I will agree with Bee, there should be a few more features as far as rushing goes.
a few auto-rush capabilities like the ones you listed would be great. my left thumb gets mighty tired. although, it never occured to me that you get more points if you wait until the next wave before rushing the end of the previous wave, this opens up a new set of high scores possible.
hard mode should be interesting too.
I've been playing this game pretty much on slow speed the whole time, making each game take long, and creating more and more presses to rush, since i was worried about not being able to rush at the next earliest opportunity.
Taking care of this aspect of the game really opens up more time to actually play the game.
Good point about the rushing. If I'm going my calculation right, it basically means that when there is less than five seconds left in a wave, you are likely better off by waiting and rushing at the start of the next wave.
Still, for the very easy levels, that still boils down to non-stop rushing, since the waves are all at least 10 second waves, I think?
Would it be possible to eventually add in endless waves with semi randomized distribution of baddies. Could you even, while probably pushing it, mix the beasties up within a wave like rat, rat, rat, spider, rat, etc.?
This is something I'd really love to see in a TD game and yours, frankly, is the coolest out there.
Yes. Unlike 90% of the other TD's out there, I can easily mix different mobs together. Those other TDs load the graphics each wave, while mine was written to support a lot more enemies on screen at once.
The internal lists I have for each wave and level would allow me to mix any way I want to. In fact, I was still experimenting when I "finalized" the 30 available levels. I'm sure there are a dozen or more ways to organize enemies.
Hi all, Its definitely a good game, I just wonder if anyone can tell me the tactic to pass Goo Busters. I have passed all other levels with almost Gold medals but I could never pass Goo Buster what ever tower I have used. Fire, Electric, Earth, Arrow.... I gave up.. hic hic... Thanks
I tend to use a lot of Earth and Fire towers, as they do Area damage. When the goo blobs die, they split into mini ones, which require even more damage than to kill, and the Area damage works wonders.
Tower placement is a bit tricky, as the background graphics make it hard to place them close to the path... this was intentional as it is a harder level. Make sure the show-grid-during-placement option is on so you know where to place them.
Poke. Just checking on v2 cause I can not get enough of this game.
I did have 1 question though for the hard path level in challege. I can do ok up until the skellys and ghost waves around 29-30. But they just wipe me out. I have setup r2 earths with (3) r3 electrics at the two first intersections. I also have (2) well placed r3 posions there. Can you give me any more advice on what to do to help get past those undead waves? I use bombs well enough but even the three can't down those two waves.
Hard Path is nearly impossible. I think a few people have completed it, but not even I have been able to. I wanted at least one very hard level in the game.
Update is this: My girlfriend asked me to move in with her, and I'm in the process of boxing things up. Everything should be moved in a week and I plan on continuing work. I've got a blog post with the list of to-dos (it is pretty long). But I was making progress until real life kicked me in the balls. I have got flying units almost working. I'm still deciding how to introduce them into the game... hard levels only? Or add 20 more maps designed with flying units? Not sure.
Sales have come to a near stop as my game is buried in the waves of crap-ware. My motivation is nearly gone. I'm tired and sore from moving boxes. But I will continue to try and keep my promises.
I finally beat hard pathed with 6 lives left. I kept dying at the undead but after careful placement of some arrow towers and using 2 strings of 3 earth towers, I got past them ok but I had to use multiple bombs and it was touch and go the whole time. I always loose about 10-12 lives just from undead. I then started getting stuck on the slimes right after, but if I milk the 250$ interest (you have too the whole time) up until the blobs. I upgrade my 3-4 fire towers I have sitting near the end paths up to rank 5-6. Spend all your gold on fire for the blobs. After they are gone, if you are still alive, the last waves are easy as you will get new bombs.
I want to add this tip which I found to be the biggest lifesaver for hard pathed. If you rush the 2 undead waves as soon as the boss wave before then appears, you can drop 2 or 3 bombs on BOTH the undead groups AND chances are the bosses will still be on the map alive this giving you more bombs once they die. This also applies to the slimes. If you rush not the 1st, but the 2,3 and 4th waves, your fire towers be more effective and the 4th wave returns ALOT of bombs, just in time to finish off all slimes about to exit. Rushing also puts the those waves together so 1 bomb hits all the waves greatly increasing it's effectivness.
You have made a real addiction game for me and a number of other TD fans. I know all too well the programmers burnt out times too. Would you entertain the idea of partnering with another developer? One who can do the mind numbing tasks that take most of the time. Leaving you to focus on game design, player experience, and mechanics?
I am a flash/flex developer and I do have great UI design & animation abilities. I would really like to know also how the hell to do iphone apps on windows like you did here. I know little C and I have a solid network of coworkers who assist. I just would hate to see a great find like this game slip away into the forgotten icrap pile. You have some amazing talent too. You could have almost any developer job you wanted if you lived in the socal area. They are begging for iPhone developers.
Glad to hear you finished the level! I had made it to be impossible, but evidently I didn't try hard enough.
There is definitely a balancing problem with the skeletons and ghosts. I tried to give the skeletons a bit less hit points, but you still need to kill them twice, so unless the life is 50% of a normal mob, they are still harder. I might give the resurrected version 50% of the original life, and that might balance it out... or maybe towers can do 10% damage while they are a pile of bones (which counts towards their resurrected life pool). The ghosts are hard, but you can adjust tower placements to hit them when they are not phased.
Same thing with the blobs.
This leads to un-even difficulty in those challenge levels where the mobs cycle. You get hard waves of blobs and undead, then back to easy waves.
Well, I'm not an iPhone developer. ;) I'm a Windows developer! And who would want to live in California anyways?!? Give me snow and rain anyday! Actually, I don't think I could leave my family nor my girlfriend (and I don't think I could get her to move). Oh well. Guess I'll stay programming stupid crap in the dying auto industry.
I struggle most in the art department. Even tho I can be decently talented in art if I want to, it isn't up to a professional level.
I *can* code anything. Not sure if I need help there. We'll see how things go once I get everything moved and settled in.
Since you mentioned sales are almost non-existent, perhaps now is a good time to introduce a free ad-supported version. I've heard they make decent money: http://www.macrumors.com/2009/05/06/adwhirl-free-ad-supported-iphone-apps-can-very-lucrative, and if nothing else it will extend the income from the game for a while, and hopefully re-motivate you a bit ;-).
This is on my near-term goals, but life is kicking me in the balls at the moment. I don't have a computer set-up (my Mac is in a packing box.)
I actually want to get the changes I'm working on now, and create some new levels. I have an idea to use 3dsmax to create better looking landscapes. The free version is going to have to be spit-polished to make an impact.
Chad, your game is great - you've just got to use some sales strategy now to kick-start it so that the masses realize what you've got (of course that would have been easier before several other good TD games appeared, but no crying over spilt milk).
Love the game - mainly with all the different tower options and upgrades. I can't beat the bard swarm big boss levels - not good enough for that yet. but either way keep it up Chad - awesome
Is there any chance you post "what you have to do to earn the full achievements??" got most of them but there's a few that doing my head in, tried everything but cant obtain them...
The Big Boss level doesn't require too many towers, only a few to get started. The trick is to keep throwing bombs.
The achievement list is posted somewhere on the discussion forums... I think. But in case it isn't, here is the full list:
if (reward_no == REWARD_ARROW) return string("Won a game using only Arrow towers"); if (reward_no == REWARD_FIRE) return string("Won a game using only Fire towers"); if (reward_no == REWARD_WATER) return string("Won a game with three level 6 Water towers standing"); if (reward_no == REWARD_ELECTRICITY) return string("Won a game using only Electric towers"); if (reward_no == REWARD_POISON) return string("Built 100 Poison towers"); if (reward_no == REWARD_ICE) return string("Built 100 Ice towers"); if (reward_no == REWARD_EARTH) return string("Built 10 Earth towers in one game"); if (reward_no == REWARD_WIND) return string("Won a game with six level 6 Wind towers standing"); if (reward_no == REWARD_BOMB) return string("Threw 10 Bombs in one game"); if (reward_no == REWARD_MOBSKILLED) return string("Killed 25,000 enemies"); if (reward_no == REWARD_BOSSESKILLED) return string("Killed 250 bosses"); if (reward_no == REWARD_TOWERSBUILT ) return string("Built 2500 towers"); if (reward_no == REWARD_TOWERSSOLD) return string("Sold 25 towers in one game"); if (reward_no == REWARD_MISER ) return string("Won a game and had 5000 gold remaining"); if (reward_no == REWARD_RISKY) return string("Won a game with one life remaining"); if (reward_no == REWARD_STONEWALL) return string("Won five games in a row without losing a life"); if (reward_no == REWARD_DAMAGE) return string("Scored 250 criticals from Arrow Towers in a game"); if (reward_no == REWARD_CHICKEN) return string("Surrendered the game three times in a row");
And, yes, I didn't use a switch...case structure. I could never get the Mac to compile large switch...case code to the iPhone. Works fine in Windows and the iPhone simulator, but errors out with ARM errors when I compile to the device. /shrug
Thanks for the achievements guide!! :) gonna spend the weekend obtaining them all then thats the game completed...cant wait for the update or Besigement 2..Keep up the good work :)
It would be great if the towers could gain experience and you'd be able to level them up that way. Then this would likely be the best tower defense game in existence!
For the new version, have you considered adding OpenFeint to Besiegement? Your current achievements could be translated to their gamer achievements very easily, I assume. I love being able to compare scores with friends, and I collect the achievement points from all my games...
I hate to admit it, but I even bought two games I wouldn't have otherwise just to get their achievement points added to my profile. =P
Might increase your visibility some, for other's already using OpenFeint. (and if you haven't tried it, the latest version works really well!)
I'm working on redoing the background graphics. I've completed about 10 of the 26 levels. I have a bunch of time off this month, and plan on working on it.
I'm still having problems making the endless levels. I can't get the timings down correctly. I'm probably going to have to rewrite major parts of the mob handling code. I'm not sure about this yet.
I've written some code to handle flying mobs for the hard and endless levels... but I'm not sure if I'll continue with it.
I've completely re-written the sprite/text handling code. I wrote some utilities to pack the graphics even more, as well as automating the entire process. This is what I worked on all summer. This might not be a big deal, but it will allow me to get about twice as many graphics into the game. Meaning... smoother animations, more tower levels, additional towers, heck.. who knows.
My current plans include finishing the update. Then either making a sequel (where you play evil), or making it another update. I also have another game idea I'd like to start working on.
I suggest you make the sequel as a DLC update instead. Personally, I dislike having two games of the same title and having to switch back and forth between them even though they're practically the same game. DLC solves this problem without taking away your earnings. :)
I just picked up this game today and I'm now a convert to tower defense games. I'm definitely looking forward to the next version although this version will keep me busy for quite a while.